The
Cruelty and Fairness of Fate
by
Crawlspace
~ Chapter
6: Living with Fate – pt 2 ~
The
sun was just beginning to rise as Rei sat on Makoto’s balcony, her feet against
the railing. She huddled down into
Minako’s jacket, trying to keep out the chill of the early morning.
Rei’s
hands were pushed deep into the jacket’s pockets. Her right hand played with a small black box,
turning it over and around. She pulled
it out and stared at it for several seconds before opening it.
Inside
the box was a pale gold ring. A vine
with tiny leaves was carved along the outside.
On the inside of the band was the kanji for ‘home.’
Rei
sighed. When Makoto apologized for
messing up her plans, the girl had no idea just how much had been messed
up. The man Rei had spoken to at the
hotel said he would hold the things she had left there until she could come by
to get them. It was unfortunate, he went
on to say, that she and her companion wouldn’t be staying with them. Rei thought it was more unfortunate that the
hotel would be keeping her money, along with Minako’s twelfth rose.
The sliding door opening behind her startled Rei. She almost tipped herself backwards in her
haste to close the jewelry box and get it hidden.
“Rei,”
said Ami as she came out onto the balcony.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Rei
clutched her chest. As she regained her
composure, she said, “That’s okay. I
thought maybe you were Minako.”
“What’s
that?” asked Ami when she saw the little black box Rei was holding against her
chest.
“Oh, this?” Rei
laughed nervously. “It’s a present for
Minako. I was going to give it to her
last night, but with everything that happened…
The timing just isn’t right.”
Ami
nodded as if she understood. She moved
to the railing and rested her hands on it, watching as the sky lightened. “I think Makoto will be all right now that
everyone knows. She was very concerned
over how everyone was going to react. Especially Usagi.”
“I’ve
been there,” replied Rei. “Minako and I
were both afraid of how the rest of you would take it when you found out we
were together. With Usagi… she’s the one
we all try to make everything perfect for.
I didn’t want to be the one to take that away from her.” Rei smirked.
“Now I can’t help wondering why I was so worried about it.”
Ami
couldn’t help but grin at the memory of Rei and Minako with nothing between
them and their dignity but a bedsheet. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Usagi laugh
quite so hard.”
Rei
groaned in embarrassment. “Me
either. Figures the one time in her life
she’s early for something is the exact time my alarm clock decides to die. The next time Grandpa goes away, I’m locking
all the doors.”
“You
always told us to just come in,” said Ami.
“We had no idea we’d find you like that.”
“At
least you guys took it well. Even Luna
and Artemis, once they got done yelling at us about duty, honor, and
discretion.” After several moments of
silence, Rei asked with a nod towards the living room, “How are you doing with
all of this?”
“How
I am doesn’t matter,” answered Ami.
“That’s
not true,” said Rei.
Ami
remained quiet.
“Ami,”
said Rei. When Ami turned to her, she
continued, “You have my permission to be selfish for a moment.”
Ami
smiled at Rei’s words. This was what Rei
had been saying to her since she’d found out how Ami felt and had reassured her
it was okay. “Thank you, but it isn’t
necessary right now.”
“Like
hell it isn’t,” replied Rei. “The person
you’re in love with did something incredibly intimate and stupid with someone
who isn’t you. This has got to be
bugging you at least a little.”
“It
isn’t…” Ami stopped. She hesitated for a moment, allowing some of
what she’d been holding back to come through.
“I see him at school everyday,” she said quietly. “He sits two rows over from me, one seat
back. I dislike him. I dislike knowing he was with her the way he
was. I dislike knowing that she will
always chase after boys who care nothing for her until she finds one who does
while I will always remain her friend.”
Ami
turned and faced the glass doors, looking into the living room. “I am her friend, though,” she said with a
sad smile. “I’ve always known I would
have to deal with something like this sooner or later. Besides, she needs a friend right now more
than she needs someone with a silly schoolgirl crush.”
* * *
Usagi
lay on her side with her head propped up on her hand. Sometime while she was sleeping, someone had
turned off the television. There was
light beginning to come in through the windows, though. So, in the early morning light, Usagi studied
Makoto’s sleeping form.
Usagi
didn’t think Makoto looked any different.
Actually, she looked kind of funny with her mouth hanging open the way
it was. Although -- and here Usagi
tipped her head to get a better look -- with Makoto’s shirt pulled the way it
was… Usagi quickly shifted her
eyes. That wasn’t someplace she was
supposed to be looking, even if the target area had gotten a bit bigger.
Next,
Usagi’s eyes landed on Makoto’s belly.
It was still flat, regardless of the tiny little baby that was hiding in
there. Usagi reached out with a finger
and tentatively poked her friend’s stomach.
After
the fifth or sixth poke, Makoto opened one of her eyes. “Usagi,” she asked, “what
are you doing?”
“Can
you feel it?” asked Usagi, completely entranced by the finger that kept landing
just below Makoto’s bellybutton.
“You
poking me?” asked Makoto teasingly. She
scooted into a sitting position away from Usagi’s questing finger.
“No, silly. The baby.”
“I
know what you meant, Usagi.” She thought
for a moment about how to answer her princess’ question. “Not the way you mean,” she said slowly, “but
certain things feel different, so I know something’s there making it all
happen.”
Usagi’s
eyes inadvertently went to Makoto’s chest.
When
Makoto noticed where Usagi was staring, she chuckled. “Yeah, those are one of the things.”
Usagi
blushed and quickly darted her eyes away.
“Sorry.”
“It’s
okay,” said Makoto. “Everyone’s going to
be staring soon enough.”
“When
are you due?”
The
question came from Michiru. Makoto
realized then that everyone was awake or in the process of waking. Michiru was leaning comfortably against
Haruka, who was still looking a bit dazed.
Hotaru and Chibi-usa were both in the living room. Hotaru was spooned against Setsuna on the
couch and was likely the reason the woman was awake. Chibi-usa was sprawled out at Makoto’s feet,
the way she was watching Makoto very similar to Usagi.
Just
as Makoto noticed Rei and Ami were missing, the door to the balcony slid
open. The two girls came in and returned
to the spots where they had slept.
“What
did we miss?” asked Rei as she settled back beside Minako.
“We’re
trying to find out when she’s due so we know how to place our bets,” answered
Haruka.
Michiru
turned a stern look on the blonde. “That
isn’t why I asked.”
Haruka
only grinned.
Setsuna
gave Hotaru a small nudge. “Go get the
bag from last night and give it to your Haruka-papa,” she said to the child.
Hotaru
hurried over to the bag and brought it back to Haruka. She knelt in front of her parents as Haruka
took the calendar and notepad from the bag.
“Isn’t
it pretty?” said Hotaru, referring to the calendar. “Me and Chibi-usa
picked it out all by ourselves.”
“It’s
very nice,” said Michiru. She pointed to
a thumbnail picture of a water sprite with silvery blonde hair and translucent
wings. “I especially like this one.”
“Way
to think ahead, Setsuna,” commented Haruka as she opened the calendar. “All right, Mako-chan. When’s D-day?”
Makoto
smiled. “May 14th.”
Haruka
made a note on the calendar and turned it for everyone to see. “Okay, this is how it works. Five hundred yen a bet with four things to
bet on: weight, length, delivery date,
and gender. First come, first serve.”
Chibi-usa
turned immediately to Usagi. “Usagi,
give me money,” demanded the girl.
Before
Usagi could refuse, Setsuna spoke up, “I’m afraid you and I are disqualified
from playing, Small Lady. It wouldn’t be
fair.”
As
Chibi-usa sat back, her arms crossed and pouting, the others scrambled to their
purses and jacket pockets. Hotaru made
the rounds between her parents, getting money from each of them.
“Come
on, Ami,” said Makoto when Ami didn’t make a move for her bag. “You have to play, too. I’ll lend you some money if you didn’t bring
enough.”
Ami
grinned at Makoto. That wasn’t why she
was hesitating. But since it looked like
Makoto was enjoying this and was going to play along herself, Ami figured she
might as well, too. “I was just thinking
for a moment, Mako-chan,” said Ami. “A
thought out choice has a better chance of winning.”
Makoto
laughed and opened a drawer on the end table by the couch.
Usagi
emerged from digging around in her purse.
“I only have a thousand,” she said plaintively.
“Bet
what you have on you now,” said Haruka.
“You can put more down later.”
“Well,
I’ve got two thousand,” said Makoto. She
closed the drawer she had gotten the money from. “And since I’m the one who has to give birth,
I get to go first.”
Haruka
laughed at that. “Sounds
fair. Okay, Mako-chan, write your
destiny.”
Minako
nearly choked to death at those words.
Rei patted the blonde on the back as the others turned concerned eyes on
her. All except for Setsuna. Minako swore the other woman was suppressing
a smile at her reaction to what Haruka had said.
Makoto
handed the money to Haruka. “No sense in
inviting trouble, so I’m taking my due date.
A girl, on the 14th, 8 ½ pounds, 20
inches.”
“A
perfect baby,” grinned Michiru.
“She’s
my kid. What else could she be?”
“A
whole lotta stubborn trouble,” answered Minako with a
smile. “Since Mako-chan says it’s a
girl, I’m picking that, too. Born on the 13th, 8 pounds. I’ll pick a length as soon as I get another
500 yen.”
The
betting went around the room. Haruka
kept track of everyone’s guesses in the mini notebook Hotaru had gotten with
the calendar.
Finally,
they got to Usagi. “I’m not sure,” said
the blonde. “Ami, you go before me.”
“Are
you certain, Usagi?” When the blonde
nodded, Ami continued, “Then I say a boy, just because no one else has. He’ll be born on the 17th, 7 ½
pounds and 19 ¼ inches.”
“Okay,”
said Usagi as Haruka finished writing Ami’s information, “I know what I
want.” The blonde smiled as if she’d
uncovered some huge secret no one else knew.
“It’s gonna be a boy. Let’s see, what days are left? Here, the 9th,” she said, pointing
to an empty square. “I can guess on the
rest after I get my allowance next week, right?”
“Mmmm hmmm,” nodded Haruka as she tucked Usagi’s 1000 yen
bill into an envelope with the rest of the money. “I’ll look forward to taking your money,
Usagi.”
* * *
Ami
brought a hand up to cover her eyes and groaned. Sunlight was seeping in through the crack in
the drapes and landing directly on her face.
The warmth and brightness over her closed eyes had woken her up several
hours before she was ready.
Parting
the fingers she had shielding her eyes, Ami stared at her travel alarm. No human being should be up at
Minako’s
birthday had been last Tuesday. Not that
anyone could have missed it, for the blonde had circled October 22nd
on every calendar in sight. As a
present, last night the girls had taken Minako to see the boy band that had
replaced the Three Lights as
Makoto
had offered Ami a weary goodnight before disappearing into her room. She had a breakfast meeting this morning with
an old friend of her father’s. A friend,
she’d gone on to tell Ami, who handled her trust fund and all the investments
Makoto had inherited from her parents.
Two times a year they would get together, discuss financial business,
and catch up on Makoto’s life.
Ami
stretched her body out, the tips of her toes pressing into the arm of the
couch. For the better part of the last
month, Ami had been sleeping on this couch, this time with her mother’s
permission. Kaya’s only conditions had
been that there be no more ‘incidents’ and that Ami’s schoolwork not
suffer. So a sort of routine had set
in. On the nights Kaya was home, Ami
would sleep there to be with her mother.
The rest of the time, she was at Makoto’s.
And
she’d gotten to keep the shirt.
Ami
yawned and rolled off the couch. She
wasn’t wholly awake just yet, and she staggered a bit as she walked towards the
hallway. She bypassed the bathroom,
however, when she heard Makoto’s voice.
The
door to Makoto’s room was open. Ami
leaned against the doorframe, unaware of the sleepy grin she wore, and rubbed
at her eyes. Makoto’s room looked like
her closet had exploded. Clothes were
strewn everywhere as the girl tried to find something she could wear.
Makoto
muttered to herself as she pulled her shirt off over her head and grabbed a
blouse from her bed. She buttoned it up,
stood in front of the mirror, threw her arms up, and cursed. The buttons on the blouse strained just a bit
too much for modesty across her chest.
“They
were too big to begin with,” complained Makoto to her reflection.
Uhnn uhnn, thought
Ami. They’re perfect.
Makoto
tensed. Her reflection stared unblinking
at the girl she had just noticed standing in her doorway.
The
sleepy fog in Ami’s brain cleared instantly and her eyes went wide. No.
I didn’t. There’s no way…
“Um,
your door was open,” Ami sputtered out.
“I… I was heading to the bathroom and I heard you talking to yourself.”
“Ami…”
“The
bathroom,” said Ami, rolling right over whatever Makoto might say. “I’m going to use the bathroom. And take a shower.” She began to back away into the hall. “You’re done in there, right?”
Makoto
nodded.
“Okay,
well, I’ll see you later tonight. I’m
having dinner with my mom, so, um, later.
Bye.” Ami moved across the hall
as quickly as she could.
Escaping
into the bathroom, Ami sagged against the closed door and released a huge
breath. Maybe she should spend a few
days at home, she began to think.
Because that was too close, and she had no idea what she was going to
say if Makoto questioned her about it.
* * *
Makoto
walked along, not really paying as much attention to the foot traffic as she
should. The meeting had gone well
enough. Yoshiro-san had been surprised,
to say the least, when she told him about the pregnancy. Yet, rather than dwell on it, he had wished
her good luck in her decisions, then went on to say her finances were in good
shape and he anticipated no problems in the foreseeable future. Though with this latest development she would
likely want to adjust the monthly allowance she was living off of.
Money
was the furthest thing from Makoto’s mind, though. She was having a hard time letting go of what
Ami had said this morning. What it
really came down to was the same problem Makoto always had with these things –
reading too much into what was being said.
Intellectually, she knew what Ami was trying to say to her; basically
‘don’t be embarrassed. You worry too
much. You look fine.’ That was it.
But in that moment, Makoto had heard something else. And Ami had looked so cute standing there in
her shirt looking all sleepy.
A car
horn startled Makoto. She stopped and
saw Haruka’s car driving slowly beside her.
“You’re
a million miles away, Mako-chan,” called Haruka. “Want a ride?”
Makoto
nodded and got in the car. She thanked
Haruka.
“It’s
my pleasure,” answered Haruka. “Besides,
there’s something I wanted to ask you about.
It’s a bit personal, though, so if I’m overstepping my bounds, just tell
me.”
Makoto
looked at the blonde, curious at what she wanted to know. “Okay.
Go ahead and ask.”
“We –
Michiru and I – were wondering how you are financially.” The blonde kept her eyes firmly on the road
ahead of her. “It’s not something the
others can really help you with, and we didn’t think you’d ever ask even if you
did need that sort of help.”
Makoto
laughed quietly. “It’s funny that you
should bring that up now. I’m fine for
money. My parents left me with a small
trust fund and a handful of investments.
Together, they keep me comfortably.”
“Babies
can be expensive,” said Haruka. “You’re
sure you have enough?”
“Yes,”
answered Makoto. “I just left a meeting
with the man who handles most of it for me.
He and my father were friends, and they worked for the same investment
firm. All the money goes through him and
the firm, and they waive the handling fees as a sort of survivor’s
benefit. Thank you for asking, though.”
“You’re
welcome,” said Haruka with a small wave of her hand as if to brush it off as
some little thing.
The
car came to a rest at a red light.
Makoto took a breath, a decision made.
“Haruka, may I ask you something?
It’s considerably more personal than what you asked me, though.”
“Go
ahead,” answered Haruka. “I can always
refuse to answer.”
“Right.” Makoto
swallowed hard. “When you met Michiru,
how did you know she was like you?”
Haruka
grinned and moved the car forward as the light changed. “Like me as in she was a Senshi?” asked the
blonde. “Or like me as in she was a
lesbian?”
“The
second one,” answered Makoto.
“I
wasn’t sure at first,” replied Haruka.
“I thought maybe she was approaching me the way she was because she knew
I was Uranus. But then she gave me some
pretty clear hints about what she wanted.
Some of the things she said… I
could have been blind and deaf and still not have missed it.”
“Did
you ever think maybe you were misinterpreting what she was saying to you? That maybe you were only seeing it because it
was what you wanted and not really what she meant?”
“With Michiru, no,” answered Haruka. “She was never a subtle flirt.” Haruka pulled the car into the parking lot of
Makoto’s building. She looked over to
the girl, who was wringing her hands in her lap. Haruka’s eyes narrowed marginally as she
asked, “Why are you asking? Is there
someone you think you’ve misinterpreted?”
Makoto’s
hands went still. “No,” she
answered. “No, I know what she was
really saying.” She turned a smile on
Haruka. “Thanks for the ride, Haruka.”
Makoto
got out of the car quickly as Haruka answered her with, “No problem.”
Haruka
watched as Makoto disappeared onto the stairs that would take her to her apartment. She pulled away from the building wondering
not for the first time just which side of the fence Makoto stood on.
* * *
Haruka
pulled the car into the garage. Before
she’d even shut the engine down, Hotaru had the door from the house open. She ran over and pulled the car door open.
“Did
you get it?” asked the child excitedly.
“Yes,
I got it,” answered Haruka. “Come into
the house and I’ll give it to you.”
Haruka
followed her daughter into the house.
Michiru was on the couch with a paperback. Haruka leaned down for a kiss, then handed
her one of the two small bags she carried.
Hotaru
came charging into the living room with a shoebox and photo album. She took the second bag from Haruka, pulled
out the envelope of photos, and sat on the floor with her treasures.
When
the photos were spread out, Haruka joined Hotaru on the floor. She looked over the pictures without
questioning her daughter’s organization of them. Several of the photos caught her immediate
attention.
“Hotaru,
when did you take these?” asked Haruka.
Hotaru
looked over to the pictures Haruka had in front of her. “At Usagi’s when I spent the night before we
went away. Everybody found out she was
babysitting me and came over. I told you
about it after I got home.”
“I
remember, now,” replied Haruka, remembering belatedly that this was Hotaru’s
first role of film. It had been
exhausted before they’d left for Michiru’s tour and forgotten about until
they’d come across it last week.
Haruka
looked back down to the photos in front of her.
The half dozen or so were of Ami and Makoto. There wasn’t anything about them that would
have stood out other than the two girls seemed to be together more than they
were apart when Hotaru had gone shutterbug happy. All except for the one photo that had
originally caught Haruka’s eye. In this
one, Makoto had her arm around Ami’s shoulders and was giving a V sign while
smiling at the camera. Ami was smiling
shyly as she was held close to the other girl, a blush forming across her
cheeks.
Haruka
recalled a time when she’d seen a similar blush on Makoto as the girl wrapped a
scarf around Haruka’s injured hand. I
always knew it was a crush, she thought to herself with a smile.
* * *
Makoto
stretched out on her side on the couch.
The TV was on and her history textbook was open in front of her. Her attention was divided between the two,
though more of it seemed to be going to channel surfing than studying.
The
clock in the kitchen struck eleven, and Makoto looked over to the front
door. Ami was later than usual. She’d said she was coming back tonight. If she had changed her mind, she would have
called, no matter how awkward she might feel about this morning.
Makoto
grimaced and curled up a bit as another wave of nausea rolled over her. “So you didn’t want the cheesesteak
for dinner. I get the point
already.” She reached for the crackers
that sat among the other home remedies she was experimenting with. At the moment, the peppermints were too sweet
and the gingerale would make her burp. Makoto had a feeling that if that happened
air wouldn’t be the only thing coming up.
For
most of the afternoon, Makoto had been trying to figure out a way to approach
Ami with what she’d said. She couldn’t
decide if it was better to pretend it didn’t happen or if she should bring it
up and assure Ami she understood the context in which the words were spoken.
As it
was, the last thing Makoto wanted was to make Ami uncomfortable. Especially now that Ami had
relaxed into their routine. It
had taken weeks to get her to come into the apartment without knocking, even
though Makoto had given her a key. It
had taken almost as long to get the girl comfortable enough to move around
inside the apartment without acting like she was an imposing guest. She didn’t want Ami walking on eggshells
again. She also didn’t want Ami to
leave.
It
surprised Makoto when she realized how comfortable she was having another
person sharing her space. Of course, it
helped that Ami was the most unobtrusive and least demanding person she
knew. It was all those years the girl
had spent trying to blend into the background Makoto figured.
A
short while later, the door to the apartment opened slowly. Makoto watched as Ami removed her shoes and
walked quietly to the couch. Ami sat on
the edge of the coffee table after moving aside the glass of soda.
“Hi,”
she said to Makoto. “I wasn’t sure you’d
be awake. Not feeling well?”
“Not
really,” answered Makoto. “She’s upset
with me for something, I think.”
“Most
likely he’s upset with you for constantly calling him ‘she,’” teased Ami. She opened the brown lunch bag she was
holding. “Mom gave me something that
might help make you feel better.”
Makoto
took the lollipop Ami held out to her and chuckled at what she read on the
crinkly wrapper. “Preggie
Pops?”
Ami
grinned and nodded. “They help with the
nausea. Mom says they give them to the
chemotherapy patients at the hospital.
They’re not quite as sugary as these,” said Ami, indicating the bag of
red and white candies. “There’s a few different kinds in there. More peppermint than the others, though,
since you said that was working the best.”
“Remind
me to commiserate with your mom more often,” said Makoto as she unpeeled the
wrapper. She sucked on the lollipop for
a few seconds, then pulled it out of her mouth with a pop. “Hey, maybe we could get her to adopt
me. You could be my big sister,” grinned Makoto.
Ami
made an amused sound. “Well, if I’m to
be your big sister, then you must show me the proper respect and do as I
say. Go to bed, Mako-chan. You need your rest.”
“According
to Watashi-sensei I get too much rest.” Makoto’s voice deepened as she imitated her
history teacher, “’This isn’t a kindergarten,
Kino. And my class is not your nap
time.’”
“You
fell asleep in his class again?”
“Everybody
falls asleep in his class. I just happen
to be the only one that gets caught,” said Makoto in her own defense. “The textbooks are more interesting than his
lectures, but only because they have pictures.”
“I’m
surprised he let it go this time,” replied Ami.
“Heh, yeah.” Makoto put on a lopsided grin. “I suppose now would be a good time to tell
you that I have detention for three days next week.”
“Then
I suggest you sleep in there and not in any of your classes,” said Ami with
mock sternness. “Better yet, get a good
night’s sleep in your own bed.”
“You
take the bed tonight.”
“What?”
asked Ami, her surprise clear.
“You
take the bed,” repeated Makoto. “You’ll
probably fall asleep before I will.
Besides, I’m comfortable here and I don’t want to move. I feel like if I do, everything’s going to
come unsettled more than it already is.”
Spending the night in Makoto’s bed, wearing Makoto’s shirt, with
her head on Makoto’s pillow.
Yeah, that could work. Maybe a little too well.
“Okay,” answered Ami, hoping it didn’t sound as squeaky as it felt. She cleared her throat a bit as she
stood. “Do you need anything before I go
to bed?”
“No
thanks.”
“Goodnight,
then.”
Ami
had only taken a few steps when Makoto’s voice stopped her. “Ami, wait.”
Ami
stopped where she was and waited for the request she thought Makoto was going
to make.
“I’m
glad you came back,” said Makoto carefully.
“I
said I would,” answered Ami, wondering if this was Makoto’s way of addressing
what happened this morning.
“I
know. But I just wanted to say it. I like having you here, and I don’t think
I’ve actually told you that.”
“I
like being here, Mako-chan. But…” Ami hesitated for a second, then continued. “But
I’m going to be spending the nights at home this week. Starting tomorrow night.”
“I
thought your mom wasn’t rotating to days until next week,” said Makoto. “Did that doctor she’s covering for decide to
go on vacation a week early?”
“It’s
just a last minute schedule change. You
know how it is.” There, that wasn’t a
complete lie.
“I
guess. So it’s going to be three weeks
instead of two?” asked Makoto, disappointment in her voice.
“That’s
how it looks, yes,” said Ami.
Ami
heard Makoto expel a deep breath. “It
can’t be helped, I suppose. And just
when I’d gotten used to sharing the bathroom in the morning, too. Oh, well.
Night, Ami.”
Ami
was beginning to feel guilty about her decision to spend some time away from
Makoto. But as she lay in bed with one
of Makoto’s pillows held to her chest, she remembered why she was doing
this. It was necessary, she knew, if for no other reason than to preserve her own sanity.
* * *
Rei
drained her glass in one swallow and set it back on the table. “I’ll be late this afternoon, Grandpa,” she
reminded him. “Minako wants to spend her
birthday money, so we’re all going shopping.”
Rei’s
grandfather folded the newspaper he was reading. “Have fun,” he said to Rei as she gathered
her things for school.
Leaning
down, Rei kissed his bald head before hurrying out the door.
When
he heard the door close, Rei’s grandfather reopened his paper. The headline in the current events section
declared boldly, “Senator Hino Visits Hometown.” The article beneath the headline gave the
Senator’s schedule while he would be in town, along with an extensive list of
his political accomplishments and all around good deeds. According to the article, he had been in town
for several days already and would be until Monday afternoon to finish up
several speaking engagements and public appearances.
Grandpa
sighed and shook his head sadly. “You
could have at least called her you sorry excuse for a man.”
* * *
Minako
heard only two words: Blowout Sale. Those words made everything else
irrelevant. “That’s where I want to go,”
she told her friends as they met after their Saturday morning classes.
“
Minako
blinked.
“We
haven’t been there in a while,” said Makoto.
“Maybe they’ve opened some new stores.
And it’s not like we don’t have the time. Come on, I can catch a nap on the bus ride
over.”
* * *
Ami
wandered out of the latest clothing store the other girls were gleefully
terrorizing. Rei’s complaints about
coming here had quickly died out as soon as they stepped into the mall. Now she was the one pulling Minako from store
to store, trying on everything she could fit into.
Ami
stopped in front of a window display of knickknacks and keepsakes. She leaned down a bit so she could better see
the small object on the bottom shelf.
Sitting
on the shelf all by itself was a small sculpture of a butterfly. The butterfly was seated on a pink flower,
its wings spread wide as if it were about to take flight. On the leaves and a few of the flower petals
were tiny drops of crystal; raindrops from a summer shower.
As
Ami contemplated the figure before her, Usagi appeared beside her and imitated
her stance. “Whatcha
looking at?” asked the blonde.
“The
butterfly,” answered Ami tapping the glass lightly.
“Oooo… pretty,” admired Usagi.
“It
is,” replied Ami. “Actually, it reminds
me of a book I read recently.”
“It
must have been a happy book,” stated Usagi.
“It
was a gift from someone. And it did make
me happy.” Ami turned to her friend with
a smile. “Mako-chan’s
birthday is next month. Do you think
she’d like it?”
“Yes,
very much,” answered Usagi with a nod.
“Will
you keep her distracted if she comes out of the store before I do?” requested
Ami. “I shouldn’t be long.”
Ami
beat Makoto out of the store by less than 60 seconds. Usagi breathed a sigh of relief. Though she was a bit disappointed that she
didn’t get to try out the stall tactic she was devising.
“There
you guys are,” called Minako as she hauled her bags over to them. “Where’s Rei?”
“We
lost her in the dressing rooms,” explained Makoto as she followed behind
Minako. “She went to get another shirt
and never came back.”
“We
haven’t seen her,” answered Ami.
“Maybe
she’s over there with all those other people,” suggested Usagi. She pointed to the courtyard, where a large
group had begun to gather. “They must be
starting whatever they had that stage set up for.”
The
girls moved closer to the crowd of people gathered around the small stage in
the courtyard. The area was decorated
with balloons and streamers, banners and flags.
On the stage were several folding chairs now occupied by smartly dressed
men and a single woman. There was a podium at the center of the stage
positioned near the front. At the
moment, a young man in an expensive looking suit was speaking to the audience.
“I
see her,” said Makoto, her height an advantage in the crowd. “She’s over there by those plants.”
The
girls followed Makoto over to Rei. They
got up behind her and stopped dead as the young speaker introduced Senator Hino
amid a round of loud applause.
Rei
wasn’t cheering. Her face was set in a
stony mask. The only emotion she showed
was in her eyes. Minako saw the fire
there and recognized the anger as well as the hurt.
Usagi
stepped up beside Rei. “Hey, Rei, isn’t that your…”
“Yes,
it is,” said Rei, cutting off Usagi.
“Come on, let’s go.” Rei turned
and started to walk away.
“We’ll
wait for you if you want to stay awhile,” said Makoto.
“We
came here to shop,” answered Rei, her voice sharp, “not to listen to some
stupid politician talk about how great he is.
Now are you coming or not?”
“But Rei…” started Usagi.
Minako’s
hand on her arm stopped Usagi from saying any more. “Yeah, we’re coming,” said Minako. She caught up to Rei, walking close enough so
that their arms just brushed.
The
others looked at each other, shrugged, and followed after their friends.
* * *
“Grandpa,
I’m home,” called Rei as she entered the main living area of the shrine.
Her
grandfather appeared in the doorway, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “Looks like you had a busy afternoon,” he
said when he saw all the bags Rei was setting down.
“Big
sale at the Plaza,” answered Rei.
Grandpa
frowned. Quietly he said, “I see.”
“Did
anyone call while I was gone?”
“No. I’m sorry,” he added when he saw the slight
droop in Rei’s posture.
Rei
straightened quickly. A tight smile on
her face when she turned to her grandfather, she replied, “No big deal. So what’s for dinner? I’m starving.”
Rei
followed her grandfather into the kitchen.
He pointed her towards the potatoes, and Rei set to peeling them as
Grandpa went back to the vegetables.
“Your
mother couldn’t peel a potato to save her life,” he said casually. Grandpa smiled at his memories of his
daughter. “Every time she tried, her
fingers wound up in bandages and the potatoes came out looking like french fries. I half think she did it on purpose so her
mother wouldn’t ask her to help anymore.
Your mother hated to cook.”
Rei
smiled, her eyes narrowing just a bit as she tried to grasp an old memory. “I remember her in the kitchen. She was making something, but I can’t
remember what.”
“Oh,
she could do it when she had to. But
she’d complain the whole way through.
Tea was the only thing she enjoyed doing.”
“Because
it was good for the soul,” said Rei, the memory of her mother’s voice a whisper
in her ears.
“Mmm…” Grandpa looked
up from what he was doing and watched Rei’s face for a moment. “You remind me of her in so many ways. But I can see the differences as well. Like the first time I held you. You looked up
at me with those big, beautiful eyes, and I knew you were special. The road Fate had put you on was going to
bring you here, the fire in your soul would see to it. And because of you, the shrine would stay in
the family for at least one more generation, because I’d known for a long time
that your mother’s place was somewhere else.
“Each
of us has a road we are meant to follow,” continued Grandpa. “Your mother had a bright soul filled with
dreams and desires that could never be fulfilled by a simple Shinto
shrine. It was why she fell in love with
your father.” Grandpa’s grin was
melancholy when he said, “I remember thinking he was just a phase she was going
through; a way of getting it out of her system before she settled down to her
duties here. But his ambitions touched
something in her that I never could. I
see the same sort of bright soul and dreams in your Minako.”
Rei
looked at her grandfather with sudden comprehension and surprise. “You’re afraid she’ll leave me, aren’t you?”
“Your
place is here, Rei,” said Grandpa, turning his knife back to the vegetables in
front of him. “You made that choice on
your own, and you know it to be a correct one.
Minako, though, her road will take her out into the world she
desires. A soul like hers would never be
happy caged in here and would soon be fighting to be set free. I don’t want to see another of my girls hurt
by a broken cage.”
Rei
was shaking her head. She hadn’t been
expecting this. “I thought… Never mind what I thought. Grandpa, she isn’t going to leave me.”
The
knife went through a carrot and landed hard against the cutting board. Grandpa looked back at Rei with an
uncharacteristic sadness. It was like he
was saying through his expression how sorry he was for her because of her
naiveté in the matter.
Rei
sighed. “She won’t, Grandpa. You’re right when you say she has dreams she
needs to follow. It wouldn’t be fair of
me to ask her not to chase them any more than it would be fair of her to ask me
to turn away from my life here.” Rei
smiled, hoping it would give some reassurance of her belief in what she was
saying. “You’re also right when you say
her road will take her out there for a while.
But she’ll always come back.”
“For
you?” asked Grandpa skeptically.
“Yes,
as egotistical as that may sound,” answered Rei. “There are other things, though, that have
little, if nothing, to do with me.
Minako has her own destiny.
Believe it or not, Grandpa, it is here.”
The
old man’s shoulders slumped and he released a resigned sigh. “I suppose there’s no way I can convince you
to find a nice, young miko as a mate? Or
even a simple shrine maiden?”
Rei
shook her head. “Afraid
not.”
“You
seem very sure of all of this,” said Grandpa slowly. “Maybe this once your old grandfather is just
worrying too much. That young woman’s
light might be good for you after all. Kami knows your mother would have liked her.”
“Do
you think so?” asked Rei.
“I
know so.” Grandpa took on a
contemplative expression. “I’ve always
tried to do things for you in a way that she would approve of. As you’ve gotten older it’s become harder for
me to guess at how she would’ve handled things.
Like with all of this. If she had
been the one to walk in on the two of you, how would she have reacted?”
Rei’s
cheeks colored as her grandfather went on to answer his own question.
“Would
she have been horribly embarrassed, upset with you because of what you were
doing in front of the sacred flame, or,” and here Grandpa smiled, “would she
have doubled over in laughter because you were doing it in front of the
sacred flame? Somehow, I think it would
have been the latter.”
Rei
laughed in spite of her embarrassment.
“However,”
said Grandpa, his tone becoming just a touch more serious, “we’re going to set
down some ground rules for when the two of you are here. First, no more in the
shrine room. For
that matter, nowhere anyplace but in your bedroom. Just because I may have certain hobbies
doesn’t mean I want to see my child engaged in any of those things. Which brings me to my next
point.” Grandpa took a deep
breath, then said quickly, “She can spend the night.”
Rei
had to pick her jaw up off the floor.
“I’d
rather the two of you were here where I know you’re safe,” went on
Grandpa. “This is your home, and I realize
you aren’t a child anymore. But I’d like
to pretend you are, so when she does stay over do everything in your power to
make me believe it’s just an innocent sleepover. Now nod your head and say ‘thank you,
Grandpa.’”
“Thank
you, Grandpa,” said Rei with a nod and a grin.
“You’re really okay with this?”
“I
will be,” answered Grandpa. “You seem to
trust her a great deal. I suppose I’m
going to have to as well. She is a nice
girl.” Grandpa’s expression became
thoughtful. “I should meet her parents, see what kind of family she comes from.”
“Uh, about that. It
really isn’t necessary.”
“Of
course it is. She’s a very important
part of your life.” Grandpa raised an
eyebrow. “Unless
you’re embarrassed by your grandpa?”
“No,
no, that isn’t it,” Rei quickly assured him.
“It’s just that her parents don’t know about us. They aren’t the most forward thinking people,
and Minako’s worried about how they’ll take it.
She wants to wait to tell them until after she’s graduated in case they
react badly. There’ll be less complications that way.”
Grandpa
didn’t seem to like that answer. “And
you’re okay with her hiding you from the people in her life?”
“She
isn’t hiding me from people, only her parents.
Trust me on this, Grandpa. I’ve
met Minako’s parents, and I understand why she’s doing this.”
“You’ve
got more than a year before graduation,” replied Grandpa with a shake of his
head. “That’s a long time to try and
hide something.”
Rei
shrugged. “We’ve been doing it for this
long. And… um… it’s more like five
years.”
Grandpa
stared at her.
“College
is expensive.”
Closing
his eyes, Grandpa pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s your life, Rei.” He looked back up at her. “And it’s your decision. But you know, this
shrine has never turned away anyone in need.
I won’t make her the exception, should she find herself in need of a
place to stay. In case your decision
becomes too difficult to live with.”
Rei
stepped over to her grandfather and put her arms around him. “Thank you,” she said happily as he hugged
her back.
They
were clearing the dinner dishes when the phone rang. Rei stood and stared at the thing as it
continued to ring.
“Do
you want me to answer it?” asked Grandpa when he saw Rei make no move towards
the phone.
“No. I’ll get it,” answered Rei. She set the dishes on the table and went over
to the phone. After a deep breath to
steel herself, Rei picked up the receiver. “Hello.”
A
happy and feminine voice greeted her from the other end. Rei’s shoulders fell just a bit. She really had hoped it would be him.
“I’m
fine. We just finished dinner,” Rei
answered Minako.
The
two girls had talked for several minutes when Rei noticed her grandfather
gesturing at her. “Invite her over,” he
mouthed to her. He made a shooing
gesture. “Go on.”
“Say,
Minako, do you think you can come over for a while?” Rei asked.
Grandpa
cleared his throat loudly. When Rei
looked at him, he raised an eyebrow at her.
“Um,
actually,” said Rei hesitantly, “do you want to spend the night?”
Grandpa
nodded in approval and went about removing the dishes from the table.
Rei
couldn’t help but laugh. In her mind she
could see the confused expression on her girlfriend’s face. “No, he’s here. He says its okay.”
* * *
The
two girls were seated together on the floor, Rei leaning against the couch,
Minako lying with her head in Rei’s lap.
On the television was a movie they’d both seen at least a dozen
times. Rei’s hand was absently playing
with Minako’s hair, making the already content blonde drowsy.
Minako
turned her head to look up at Rei. She
frowned when she realized Rei was staring at the phone again. “This movie’s boring,” said Minako, lightly
stabbing a finger into Rei’s belly.
“Let’s go to bed.”
Rei
grinned down at the playful smile Minako was giving her. She traced a finger over the blonde’s lips
and tapped the end of her nose. “I like
this movie. Let’s wait until the end of
it. It’s almost over, anyway.”
Minako
toyed with the hem of Rei’s shirt. Her
finger ran along the edge of it, then slipped
underneath, just barely touching Rei’s skin.
“I think you’d like bed better.”
Rei’s
smile widened. She leaned down and
kissed Minako slowly. When they parted,
Rei said, “I bet I would. But I want to
wait until the end of the movie.”
Minako
nodded and turned back to face the TV.
Rei’s
hand went back to playing with Minako’s hair, except this time the action was
more focused. Her fingers moved gently
over Minako’s cheek and up to trace along the edge of her ear. She leaned forward to kiss Minako’s cheek,
and quietly she said, “I know he isn’t going to call. I haven’t spoken to my dad in over a year,
and before today I couldn’t tell you how long it’s been since I saw him. He doesn’t mean to do it, I think, but he gets
busy and then he forgets about me. There
was this one time, it was my ninth birthday.
He called me at three in the morning because he’d gotten wrapped up in
work, but he didn’t want me to think he forgot.
‘I’ll never forget my little girl’s birthday,’ he said to me. Until this year, he never did.”
Minako
rolled onto her back so she was looking up at Rei. She wrapped her fingers around Rei’s. “I know that hurt you.”
Rei
tried to brush it off. “It’s not like
seventeen is an important number.”
“It
is when you’ve been through everything we have,” answered Minako. “Besides, you’re his daughter. That makes it important, no matter what.”
“He
doesn’t know about any of what we do,” replied Rei. “And he just isn’t good at being a
father. At least, that’s what Grandpa
says when he isn’t calling him a sorry excuse for a man.”
Minako
agreed with that last part, but she was surprised Rei’s grandfather would have
said that to her.
“He’s
never actually said it to me,” explained Rei.
“He only says that when he thinks I’m not listening. When I’m around he says my dad loves me, but
just doesn’t know how to be a father without Mom.”
“And
you still want to wait until the end of the movie?”
Rei
nodded.
“Okay,”
said Minako. “Let me up for a
minute.” Minako moved off of Rei and
started for the door.
“Where
are you going?” asked Rei.
“To
get something,” answered Minako with a secretive smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Ten
minutes later, Minako stuck her head around the doorframe. “Close your eyes,” she said to Rei.
“Why?”
asked Rei. “What have you got?” She started to rise from her place on the
floor.
Minako
waved a hand at her. “Stay where you
are. Just close your eyes. It’s a surprise.”
Rei
sat back down and closed her eyes. She
crossed her arms over her chest, impatient and curious,
as she heard Minako’s footsteps enter the room and stop in front of her.
“Okay,”
said Minako cheerfully, “open your eyes.”
Rei
opened her eyes and a huge, somewhat lecherous, grin spread across her
face. “You changed your clothes.”
“Uh
huh,” answered Minako. She rocked back
and forth on the balls of her feet a few times, her bare arms behind her back.
Rei
let her eyes wander over the girl in front of her. Minako had traded in her jeans and sweatshirt
for a wine red slip gown that fell to just above mid-thigh. The silky material hugged her body without
being tight, the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts being nicely
accented. The neckline came down in a
shallow V that showed off a hint of cleavage.
Shoestring bows were centered on the gown’s straps, and Rei wondered if
they were just for show or if she would be able to untie them.
Rei
stood and walked over to Minako. She
draped her arms loosely over the girl’s shoulders. “I haven’t seen this before. It looks nice on you.”
“Thank
you,” said Minako, one of her hands moving to Rei’s hip. That hand worked its way under Rei’s shirt,
fingers trailing along the skin at Rei’s side and back.
Rei’s
fingers drew a path over Minako’s right shoulder. They came to the strap of the gown and played
along the edge of it before moving it aside.
As
Rei’s lips pressed gently to her shoulder, Minako closed her eyes and tilted
her head to the side. Rei’s kisses
trailed from her shoulder to her neck.
Teeth nipped at the spot just below Minako’s ear, followed a second
later by soft lips. Minako sighed at the
feeling.
“Mina,”
whispered Rei, her warm breath tickling Minako’s ear, “I like my surprise a
lot, but we have to move it to the bedroom.
I promised Grandpa.” Rei
smirked. “Besides, the door in here
doesn’t lock.”
Minako’s
fingers stilled their movement and rested on Rei’s back. The blonde giggled. “Lock the door? Now just what is it your ecchi
little mind is thinking?”
“I
think you know what I’m thinking,” answered Rei. For emphasis, her hand moved down and cupped
Minako’s breast through the fabric of her gown.
The
blonde feigned shock at her companion.
“Rei, I’m shocked,” she teased.
“And I thought you wanted to play with your surprise.”
“I
do,” replied the miko. “I’d also liked
to play with what’s inside it.” She
tried to kiss Minako then, but the blonde stopped her.
With
the fingers that had been against Rei’s back now pressed to her lips, Minako
said, “Then let me show you your surprise.”
Rei was
now completely confused.
Minako
was grinning madly at the look on Rei’s face.
She took a step back and pulled her other hand out from behind her
back. In it, she held a yellow and pink
space blaster-type plastic gun. “Ta da,” declared Minako, pulling the trigger, causing a line
of bubbles to shoot out at Rei.
Rei
stood and gaped for several seconds as bubbles floated around her head. One popped against the tip of her nose,
causing her to blink several times to clear her sight. With Minako laughing at her, Rei couldn’t
help but smile. She rolled her eyes at
the blonde and took her by the wrist.
“Come on, we’re going to bed.”
“But
I thought you wanted to see the end of the movie,” said Minako teasingly.
“Seen
it,” answered Rei. “It’s boring.”
When
they got to Rei’s room, Rei closed the door and turned the lock. Leaning back against the door, she took a
moment to admire the sight before her.
“Have I told you yet how glad I am you called tonight?”
Minako’s
smile and the light in her eyes was all the answer Rei needed.